Automobile-signal.



E. SOULEL AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1914.

1,127,103, I Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'rlllrltro II III AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLIOATIOH FILED AUG.12, 1914.

1,127,103. Patented; Fb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETESHEET 2.

- 32' 76c r g -L-O L J5 -456/ 16249- fiqq A A Z4 WITNESSES INVE/VTUR I By I ATTORNEYS f QTNKTED STATES PATENK EDWARD SOULE OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF 'IO EMIL RUFF, (3F

BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK.

AUTOW'IOBILE-SIGNAL.

Application filed August 12, 191$v To all in cm it may, concern:

Be. it known that I. EDWARD SOUL E, a citizen oi the l nitcd Sta es. and a resident of the city of New York. borough of Brooklyn. in the county of Kings and titate of New York. have invented a new and Improved Automohile-Fiignal. which the following is a full. clear. and exact descri 'ition.

This in vention relates to automobile equipment and has particular reference to signaling devices therefor.

Among; the objects provide a signal box he carried preferably at the rear end of the chassis or limousine. and at either side or in the center thereof, depending upon. the arrangement of the steering apparatus or upon the personal preference of the owners of the machines or requirements of the State or rnunicinal ordinances.

Mo e definitelv st t d. the obiect 01" the in ention is to pro ide a se ies of movable si fnal members adanted to be brought into vi selectiwlv so as to indic te to a person follmvina t e m chine havi g the. signal that a turn is to he made to the right or to the l'e t. or the. ehicle is about to ston. It is obvious. also. that other signal members mav be emnloved in addition to those indic t rl. i desired. sari-vine o t the same important teatu es o' const ucti n.

Another ob cct oi' the invention is to provide a lam tor illumination the siunal n emhe s at uieht. the l m hpin caused to g ow si ltaneouslv with the h ineinq into action oi anv one oi the s gnal members.

A sti l furthe o iect o the invention is to provide an audible signal or ala m caused to he o' ted siin taueouslv with the action 0' the v o ahle si nal members. the lamp and url l siQ'n-ai hein o eierahlv so of the invention is to or casing adapted to arranoerl th t hoth mav act at the. same time or either m t m v be made to act to the ev siou oi the other.

The iorec' uc" an? th r ohiecis o? the in ention will hereinafter he more i'ullv desc ibed and cl imed and illustrated in the drawings Forming a nart oi this s cificatio in which like characters of rei' rence indicate corres onding parts in all the vie s. and in Which- Figure 1 is adiaqranimatic re res ntation of an automobile having mvsia'nalinc anpliancesecured thereto on th same side as Specification of Letters Patent.

jlatenteil Feb. 2 Serial No. 856,342.

the steering mechanism; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the box or casing on the line 2-2 of one of the signal members being in in active position: Fig. 3 is a veu' as the left side of Fig. 2. but with the face plate of the casing removed: Fig. 4 a transverse section on the line 3 .l IQ. 5 is a pers ective detail view of apreilcrred form of switch box adapted preterablv to be secured within easy reach oi the driver. as upon the hand Wheel: and 6 is a diagram indicating the electrical conncctions.

The several parts of the device inav be made of anv suitable mate-runs. and the relative sires and proportions. as ivell as the general design of the inecoanism. in varied to a con ideral'ilc extent Wllillflm Parting from the snirit oi the invention hereinafter more iully set forth and specificallv claimed. n

Referring more particularl to the drawings I show a signal casing 10 secured in any desired manner in a permanent or stable p0- sitiou. preferablv upon the rear end of an automobile and in position to be in' clearview from the rear of the automobile.

The general anoaratus includes a battery casing 11, a switch box 12 and anv suitable collecti ns or cables of wires 13 and H be tween the battery casing 11 and the switch box and signal casing .esnectivelv. 0bviously the hatter casin 11 may he carried in anv convenient part of the mach" and the cables 1'3 and l i: may he oi' a length and be directed along anv suitabio and convenient lines of the vehicle chassis or body. I

By way of illustration ofthe possibilities of the invention. but Without limiting; the same unnecessa ily bv such illustration, I show a signal casing" eouipned with three movable arms 15. 16 and 1? representing respectively right, left and stop. As shown, these arms are mounted upon a. common pivot 18 adiacent the upper end of the casinc. the axis of the pivot extending longitudinallv in ahorizontal direction parallel to the direction of movement of the vehicle. Each arm is adapted to be moved outwardly around said pivot through a slot 15.. 16' or 17'" arranged in parallel vertical planes at the side of the casing. Each arm is held with the outer lower corner of the arm, as

shown in his;

normally in position within the casing, of a switch 35 pivoted to the out ide of the whereby either rattlingor undesirable vi switch box 12. That portion 36 the hell bration or the arm is prevented by means and lamp circuits which is common to both OI-1 catch 19 pivoted at 20. Each catch 1 is connected to an llIllOClilIl" relay 3? 153 in the lorm of a lover of the first class through a branch circuit 38. T he relay 3? and 1s acted upon by a spring 21 which cooperates with the lochin do 28 ior reseri' to make the catch eiiective to engage leasing any or all of the coriis which 1 may have been brought down into position A The lever or catch 19 to lift the arms connected thereto. The constitutes an arn'iature in connection with r l i relays 37 are all o trolled from eli' t f ough which the catch is re-- a releasing switch 37. When the dog 98 swmging of drawn by its relay out of the-path ot The Wm} fitter 0 1 f i 1e the arm assoc ated therewith I l L i y 1 source or poivei is swings down by gravity. bringing the core indicated 2c, and a solenmd 1o, 16 or into its normal elevated position, and in 1 18 associated with each ot the signal this position the core holds the do mechaniarms and 111 circuit with the battery. The ally i lo relation to the i elav coils battery circuit includes a strap 24 with with the sprin under tension None of which are connected. any suitable switches the, relays or s blenoids, however. are main j form of P bllttons tained ener ired except when the switches 16 and 11' between which and the three b t, 0115; in perated, i i

signal arms are arrzm 'ed circuits 15 16 1 9 i Id 1% Wm) {VI} .1 f h 1; A local contact deuce n9 is associated l y O t 93b )1 finch with each of the pivoted dogs 28. This fiil'mlics lllillldes 1150 the 9) 22 which contact serves to complete the circuit from R each w -E Slglml dWicQ- the main battery throu h either the hell hach oi the solenoids includes a plunger 31 or l I th 1 1m lgpendinfl Q Willi/l6 downwardly under the upon the location of" the switch whcii force of 133m Solenoid and connected y anyone of the cores fliimovcs downiwirdl means of a flexible member 26 over a wheel so to 11 th ppi-nrr 301 l m.

or pulley .37. YVhile the illustration shows 1003] Contact; If hb i fh i h f i i mutilated sprocket is free from both of the contacts 33 and 1S f j' that elementfi y 34, as indicated in the dia ram, the bell assume ditl'crent spccinc forms w1thout and 1 will: both b i g ti even ar s the OIJeratlon P 'P of thel thiiu h the local contact 39 may be closed. 9- W y one of the three main bell 31 is shown arranged within the switches is closed, as by pressing a button d, 1 but Obviouslv it may be located at the switch box 12, the corresponding core elqewflere if desired lamp 33 1 95 will draw y p the Chain exited preferably upon the rcar face of the and simultaneously the relay 22'will release the catch 19, allowing the force of the solenoid to swing the arm outwardly. and upwardly through. substantially 90 degrees. When the core approaches or reaches the lower limit of movement, a dog 28 pivoted atZE) caused by action of a, spring 30 to engage the upper end thereof to hold it in position to maintain the signal arm eeratedi The action of 'thctsolenoid is much o'er i; an that of: the relay or magnet hence while the current passes i the magnet and the solenoid fine, the power oi the solenoid required to ibrin the arm positively into display ition ailts from what is com monly termed the bi'iilding up action, and b fore such power has time to be exerted u i the arm the magnet will have lone; 'a'iriiiiarmml its function.

nail in the form of an clec a branch circuit u L71 arrangedin a circuit cuits and 34 are \1 An auilil tric bell 3i i 32 and np B l. Tic rai h c provided with crutch contacts 32 and 34: iQSPPPliU" either or both of which may be closci'l with the battery strap 24 by means casing 10 and so related as to cause the light therefrom to be thrown against the face of any one of the arms which may be thrown into operative position.

Having thus set forth a preferred embodiment of the mechanism, the operation of the device may be briefly summarized as follows: The driver of the automobile showrn when about to turn to the left. for example, will give warning to any parties following him by pressing the button or switch 16 at the switch box conveniently arranged at the steering wheel. The circuit from the hattery 523 will be closed. therefore, while the button 16 is depressed, through the branch circuit 16", solenoid 16 and relay ciated with the arm 16. The arna then, will be swung outwardly through the slot 16' into substantially horizontal position where it will be held as loud as desired by virtue of the dog: 28 and spring 30. If it is desired :For the bell 31 to ring while the arm is thus held displayed, the switch 8 1- will he closed by the movable switch 35, and if the travelinn; is at night, when the 11p i'lcsircd to glow, the switch 35 will be Set to brii'lc e both of the contacts 34- and 32. The local. con

memes tact 39 twill he maintained closed as long as the arm is elevated. After the turn is made, the previously elevated arm will be released by pressing the release contact 37 which will momentarily energize all of the relays 37, hence withdrawing any dog 28 which may be '1 position to hold a core 25 depressed. iihe action of the relay 3'? in this connection. will break the contact 39, stopping the hell and lamp if they are in use. The catch 19' held normally in engaging position by the spring 21 Will nevertheless al low the descending arm to snap over and be engaged thereby.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The herein described automobile signal apparatus comprising a casing, a series of signal arms pivoted within said casing on a common axis and movable independently of one another in the same direction in parallel planes, a series of solenoids having movable cores, flexible connections between the cores and the several signal arms, selective push buttons for exciting any desired solenoids, a spring operated dog for each core serving to automatically catch and hold the core of any solenoid to maintain the arm in elevated position, a series of magnets associated with said dogs and arranged in parallel, and a single push button serving to energize all of said last mentioned magnets simultane;

ously for releasing any or all of the dogs, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automobile signal apparatus, the combination of a casinghaving in one side a series of vertical parallel slots, a series of signal arms pivoted within the casing and just within the slots, a series of solenoids having movable cores adjacent the bottom of the casing, each of the arms having secured thereto a sprocket wheelcencentric with the axis thereof, a series of chains connected to said movable cores andhperating over the several arm wheels, a series of circuits with independent push buttons in which said solenoids are arranged and through which any or all of the arms may be projected outwardly through their slots into display position independently of one another, a catch arranged to cooperate with the free end of each arm to hold it in normal position within the casing, and a quick-acting electromagnet in each of said solenoid circuits serving to act initially upon said catch to release the arm when the solenoid is being energized to swing the arm into display position.

In testimony whereof I have-signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD SUULE.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH F. Jncnm,

EDWARD A. RAY. 

